Damn Hunter Life – Episode 5
* * *
Even though my fever had mostly gone down, I was in an uncomfortable mood because of the original protagonist who kept hovering around.
“36.7 degrees. You still need healing.”
“Hey, that’s normal body temperature!”
“Normal body temperature is 36.5 degrees. You still have a fever.”
“Ugh, this inflexible bastard.”
That guy needs to get lost so I can pursue my grand plan.
While I was cursing him out in my mind, Ja Hyeong-woo opened the door wide without even knocking.
Seeing that bastard’s face suddenly made me unable to contain my anger. I threw the wet towel from my head at his face.
But it fell to the floor with a splat. Because Ja Hyeong-woo tilted his head just 5 degrees to avoid it.
“What are you doing?”
His utterly calm tone was even more annoying. What a boring guy.
“It’s a psychological test. A sudden flying wet towel social experiment, don’t you know?”
Ja Hyeong-woo tilted his head then just sat down in the chair in front without saying anything.
A guy who doesn’t know how the world works, that’s what he is.
“Anyway, I hate looking at your face and don’t need you, so get lost.”
As soon as he sat down in the chair, Ja Hyeong-woo’s movements stopped.
His gaze as he stared at me became sharp, but I continued without backing down.
“Incompetent bastard. Go train more. Isn’t the reason my fever keeps rising because your healing ability is lacking in the first place? Go upgrade your skills more.”
The time you’re wasting on me right now is preventing you from growing. How precious is one hour, one hour of the mouse successor’s training time.
My goal was ultimately hunter pension. But.
‘Before that, is there any guarantee that Korea will still be intact by then?’
For my goal to be achieved, I ultimately had to stop some giant gate that appears in the final chapter of the original work. Only then would the survival of Korea, including myself, be guaranteed.
But I don’t know the latter part of the story perfectly either. I didn’t know well when that time would be, and how strong I needed to be. In the end, I had no choice but to create situations so that the successors would become suitable combatants by then and prepare as much as possible.
Especially Ja Hyeong-woo, who was the original protagonist and had many overpowered skills, was most important.
Therefore, I once again verbally fed Ja Hyeong-woo some disgustingly bitter medicine. Ja Hyeong-woo’s expression rotted.
“…Right. I seemed to have forgotten for a moment because you were sick. That you’re not worth spending time on right now.”
The effect was definite. Ja Hyeong-woo didn’t even look back, put on the durumagi hanging on the coat rack, and left abruptly.
I told you to leave ages ago.
After I recovered enough to barely stand up and walk, I thought about outside my room, which must have been in a terrible state.
‘How many points does home repair cost…’
The Hunter School system was available through points. Items or services other than basic food, clothing, and shelter had to be purchased by paying personal points.
Also, furniture and houses artificially broken like this could only be repaired by paying points.
So I checked Gang-hyeon’s points once.
==
<Hunter School Shop>
You have selected the [Home Repair] function.
Scanning space…
Repair cost calculated as 1,790 points.
Your current points are 33 points.
==
“Ah shit.”
My head rang at the hopeless balance situation.
This bastard Gang-hyeon was barely getting by on daily allowance points, but his balance was rock bottom, probably because he spent those points on alcohol.
How do you earn points?
“I think you have to fight or receive hunter education and show results…”
==
/With that body, it’s impossible.
==
“I know that too!”
At least hunter education might be something I could somehow attend with this body.
Even if I run dead last and completely ruin the successor’s dignity, unlike the original Gang-hyeon, I don’t particularly have any pride, so I don’t care…
‘But that would take at least several days, so I can’t fix the house until then?’
As I opened the door to check the corridor, I had just one wish.
Please let the bathroom be safe…
Huh?
“The house is intact?”
The house that the familiar had joyfully destroyed was spotlessly clean as if it were a lie. After looking around bewildered, I suddenly had an idea of what happened.
‘Ja Hyeong-woo must have fixed it before leaving!’
As expected of the original protagonist’s sense of responsibility. I was counting on it. Even if he curses me with his eyes, he won’t leave debts unpaid. This one thing is good.
But then there’s nothing to repair? Why did the estimate come up? Bewildered, I pressed the home repair function once more.
==
Repair cost calculated as 1,790 points.
==
A while later, it was revealed that the original Gang-hyeon had been postponing repairs of places he had previously broken… Following the original Gang-hyeon’s example, I decided to postpone it too.
Beep, beep, beep—
Then, a notification appeared on the status window saying a communication had come. I could see the name of the person who called. It seemed to be a name Gang-hyeon had saved.
[Busybody]
‘Who is this?’
When I answered the phone, I heard a middle-aged man’s voice.
[“Hello, Successor Gang-hyeon. This is Park Yoon-seok.”]
Hmm, if I ask this question, I’ll look like a strange person… but the original Gang-hyeon was strange anyway, so it should be fine.
“Who did you say you were?”
[“Park Yoon-seok.”]
“Who is that?”
I expected the other side to be flustered and struggle for a while, but the answer came immediately.
[“I’m the manager assigned to Gang-hyeon-nim by the Hunter Association.”]
Ah.
A manager that the association assigns one-on-one to successors. Also called a manager.
Since Gang-hyeon originally died in episode 1, I didn’t know such a person existed.
“Ah, I remember. What’s the matter?”
[“Um… are you perhaps in an extremely good mood today?”]
“Is asking how I feel the matter?”
[“No, it’s not, it’s just.”]
Mr. Park Yoon-seok stammered in confusion.
I could tell without seeing. The original Gang-hyeon must have been extremely nasty. But suddenly I’m being docile, so he’s wondering what’s going on.
Mr. Park Yoon-seok didn’t seem like the type to nitpick over trivial things, as he immediately got to the point.
[“Could you possibly come to Hunter School headquarters at noon today? The association says they have points to give to Successor Gang-hyeon.”]
A summons to Hunter School during daytime?
“I don’t believe the latter part…”
[“Excuse me? I didn’t hear that.”]
“No, nothing. I understand. Tell them I’ll go then.”
[“Thank you.”]
After hanging up, I pondered deeply.
I know how incompetent the association I saw in the original work is. For the successors, the association was practically the villain.
Still, if there was one thing the successors and the association had in common, it was being cold toward the troublemaker Gang-hyeon. But would they give point gifts for no reason? It must be a trap.
And the association and Hunter School were separate. Outsiders can’t enter Hunter School.
But why would the association tell me to go to Hunter School headquarters?
What does me going to headquarters have to do with the association? This was the key point. I could clearly see they were planning some scheme.
And sure enough.
[Public]
As soon as I left my hideout and entered the public area, a red mark appeared on the status window.
According to the original work’s setting, the first gate occurred in this world a few months ago.
The gate randomly sucked in hundreds of young people between 15-24 years old, then closed. Everyone expected them to have died.
However, the gate’s true nature was revealed later. It wasn’t a dangerous place, but a hunter training space prepared for future gate breaks.
This gate’s name is ‘Hunter School,’ the space where the successors and I are located.
Faced with the fact that young people had to become heroes who save the world without adults, the government decided to broadcast Hunter School to supervise the students’ life and death.
The Hunter School broadcast, edited and aired by three broadcasting companies, became a huge topic as soon as it aired. The successors gained fans, and students gained income. It became possible to compensate the children who devoted their youth to hunter life.
Originally, the broadcast that started with the purpose of preventing accidents within the school and guaranteeing the livelihood of those who were forced to become hunters…
====
—Damn brats, not training hard?
—If you’re going to eat taxes and laze around, get out of there.
—That daylight robber bastard. We’ve all seen your face. When you retire, hyung will show you the bitter taste of society^^
=====
Became the worst move due to the existence of general public communities.
The constant advice coming from communities was cancer itself. There were numerous young hunters who were hurt by criticism about skill controversies, attitude controversies, and such. It appeared in episodes multiple times too.
Beep—
The [Public] mark blinked.
[Video call with broadcaster’s reporter will be connected.]
The call connection proceeded automatically without my consent. Even if this is a public area, is this okay?
A news reporter’s upright face appeared on the screen.
[“Successor Gang-hyeon! We finally caught you!”]
Toward me who just silently raised an eyebrow, the reporter smiled brightly. Then he smoothly recited his lines.
[“Our OO Broadcasting finally reports exclusively on the mysterious successor, Gang-hyeon! Successor Gang-hyeon! Could you say a word for the people of Korea?”]
“…”
[“Our successor seems to be very shy! Then may I ask you questions? We understand you currently haven’t awakened, so if you were to awaken, which position would you hope for between tanker and dealer?”]
“…”
[“What do you think about the widespread rumor that you’re hiding because you can’t awaken?”]
When there continued to be no answer, the reporter seemed to be getting frustrated too. As if trying to ask more provocative questions, determination flashed across his face. And—
I struck first.
“Reporter-nim, are you a voyeur?”
[“Excuse me? I’m sorry, but what did you—”]
I smiled brightly like the reporter had earlier.
“Taking responsibility, I’ll say something. The kids here are all young. They’re too young and afraid of getting cursed at by people to even say don’t film us. Gathering like a pack of dogs just to catch something.”
Someone had to say this at least once.
“You bastard.”
Then I’ll do it.
I’m a troublemaker anyway, so what.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
